2026 ND Portal Targets

[ThePiombino]

I hope the lesson learned here by the staff is not that they need to do a better job of not getting played by the 1st wave, but that patience is key. Seems you're better off waiting for the 2nd+ waves after the serious talent assesses the market and then makes its availability known. Hell, I hope we go full blown tamper mode and just cherry pick who we want to fill out the roster. Enough playing Mr. Nice Guy for Notre Dame. That has gotten us nothing but forfeited victories over the past ~40 years.

 

[BoredIrish]

The staff has done a great job identifying and correcting potential weaknesses. With that in mind, I have to think that they are still on the lookout for a QB. I think if they show patience and wait out the game of musical chairs, there will be someone left over without a starting spot elsewhere that is an improvement on the backup QB position.

 

[NDpendent]

The staff has done a great job identifying and correcting potential weaknesses. With that in mind, I have to think that they are still on the lookout for a QB. I think if they show patience and wait out the game of musical chairs, there will be someone left over without a starting spot elsewhere that is an improvement on the backup QB position.

I don't think you will get a portal QB who is cool being a backup who is better than the ones we already have on campus.

 

[notredomer23]

I hope the lesson learned here by the staff is not that they need to do a better job of not getting played by the 1st wave, but that patience is key. Seems you're better off waiting for the 2nd+ waves after the serious talent assesses the market and then makes its availability known. Hell, I hope we go full blown tamper mode and just cherry pick who we want to fill out the roster. Enough playing Mr. Nice Guy for Notre Dame. That has gotten us nothing but forfeited victories over the past ~40 years.

Unless there's somebody you absolutely need in the first wave, I am wondering if it's worthwhile to feign interest so these new money programs blow their budget and then you have an easier path to get who you want

 

[PolishDomer]

 

[ab2cmiller]

I know this is probably an ass move, but is it too much to keep the new kicker away from Biagi or whoever has been in charge of the kickers the past two years and just let him keep doing what he's been doing?

Is it Biagi or is it something from the Strength and Conditioning room? Same injuries for multiple kickers over the last two years.

 

[IrishLax]

Do you think most of these guys were on ND’s original radar?

I know for an absolute fact that a lot of these guys (haven't done the math to say "most") were not on the radar at all. The 'second wave' portal guys are who they crushed it with, and a lot of the guys they signed I'd argue are better than the guys who were on their initial board of who they thought they would get.

Still need one more DT though.

 

[irish2104]

I wonder if Mike Marting approached like read the good NFL GMs do where they do not just sign the first players in free agency on first day but try and find like more value later on

 

[allenm5333]

I know for an absolute fact that a lot of these guys (haven't done the math to say "most") were not on the radar at all. The 'second wave' portal guys are who they crushed it with, and a lot of the guys they signed I'd argue are better than the guys who were on their initial board of who they thought they would get.

Still need one more DT though.

Im curious how ND and other teams will attack the portal in the future. Do you spend early or wait for this second wave? Or do you just tamper even more?

 

[The Backer]

I hope the lesson learned here by the staff is not that they need to do a better job of not getting played by the 1st wave, but that patience is key. Seems you're better off waiting for the 2nd+ waves after the serious talent assesses the market and then makes its availability known. Hell, I hope we go full blown tamper mode and just cherry pick who we want to fill out the roster. Enough playing Mr. Nice Guy for Notre Dame. That has gotten us nothing but forfeited victories over the past ~40 years.

This is a great point. My guess is the beat ends up getting information from agents pushing their specific players. It probably felt really bad to the because they only understood the initial set of portal entrants. The agents for guys that didn't enter the portal until later are going to be quiet (relative to other school's beats) since they're not 100% sure their player will end up leaving their current school. So the beat ends up bedwetting, although it's because they have fairly limited information.

It's also pretty clear that ND on or about 1/6 told the beat "chill the F out, we got this". For better or for worse, ND really has to keep the beat in the dark. If they would have named the players they ended up getting to the beat on 1/1, my guess is that would have damaged our chances to actually get them.

In the end, the portal is a competitive process and all actors benefit from the fog of war to some degree. Things won't always feel smooth; ultimately we have to judge the outcomes of the process.

 

[Domina Nostra]

I don't think you will get a portal QB who is cool being a backup who is better than the ones we already have on campus.

I don't think you will get someone who is a better long-term prospect than the two incoming freshmen, but you could get a game manager with significant experience who could distribute the ball and run the offense more efficiently.

A senior "Tommy Rees" type, maybe where there is coaching staff turnover.

 

[NDPhilly]

Unless we hear some additional DT names pop up today, you have to feel pretty good about where we are with Gray.

 

[The Backer]

Im curious how ND and other teams will attack the portal in the future. Do you spend early or wait for this second wave? Or do you just tamper even more?

Martin and company have absolutely been non-tampering tampering with these guys for a while. Let's keep in mind

• Keon Keeley played his last game 1/1 (portal opened 1/2). Likely wanted to do "exit activities" on Alabama's side and formally entered the portal 1/4 which was pretty early for the Alabama DL. Committed to ND on 1/12, I believe we were his only OV
• Graham and Porter played their last games 12/31. Both entered around 1/5 and committed to ND 1/12 and 1/13.
• Brewu entered the portal 1/6 and committed 1/13 after a bunch of visits. Partridge was formally announced 1/7. He had to know that ND would take him when he entered 1/6.
• Sanders and McKinney were both pretty big surprises. I don't know that anybody knew McKinney even visited before the commit retraction announcement from him.

My point is that the program absolutely had knowledge of guys that they could get beyond the first wave.

 

[NDWarrior]

Unless we hear some additional DT names pop up today, you have to feel pretty good about where we are with Gray.

OSU, AL, NE and FL DLs all entered yesterday, but I prefer Gray for sure.

 

[smw6230]

I wonder if Mike Marting approached like read the good NFL GMs do where they do not just sign the first players in free agency on first day but try and find like more value later on

IMO, this. It makes the most logical sense. Martin's background is the NFL and in that league the good teams are cash strapped and seek value in free agency. Value in the NFL is best found in the secondary FA market. Bad teams generally have the most cap space and use free agency to fill holes while making PR statements, via high profile signings, to their fan base. Martin's old NFL team didn't have a lot of cap space so like other good teams they largely sat out the opening round of FA and used their money in the secondary market where there was value to be found.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I hope the lesson learned here by the staff is not that they need to do a better job of not getting played by the 1st wave, but that patience is key. Seems you're better off waiting for the 2nd+ waves after the serious talent assesses the market and then makes its availability known. Hell, I hope we go full blown tamper mode and just cherry pick who we want to fill out the roster. Enough playing Mr. Nice Guy for Notre Dame. That has gotten us nothing but forfeited victories over the past ~40 years.

They have it. We don't. Same can probably be said for intelligence. They know. The beat and the fans do not.

I'm completely fine with them keeping a tight ship and not letting things get out. This Purdue kicker has supposedly been on campus and attending classes? How they kept that locked down is beyond me, but it's awesome if it's true.

Let these guys play chess while the beat is playing checkers and the fans are playing with their food.

 

[SDIrishFan]

Does Powlus' kid have a year left? He tore up ND's defense pretty good on a couple drives to end the Stanford game.

Only half kidding....

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Does Powlus' kid have a year left? He tore up ND's defense pretty good on a couple drives to end the Stanford game.

Only half kidding....

Mirer.

 

[ozzman]

Does Powlus' kid have a year left? He tore up ND's defense pretty good on a couple drives to end the Stanford game.

Only half kidding....

That was Rick meyerer's kid. And that's how they pronounced his name

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Does Powlus' kid have a year left? He tore up ND's defense pretty good on a couple drives to end the Stanford game.

Only half kidding....

Um.
I think you are confusing Ronnie Powlus and Charlie Mirer

 

[PANDFAN]

I hope the lesson learned here by the staff is not that they need to do a better job of not getting played by the 1st wave, but that patience is key. Seems you're better off waiting for the 2nd+ waves after the serious talent assesses the market and then makes its availability known. Hell, I hope we go full blown tamper mode and just cherry pick who we want to fill out the roster. Enough playing Mr. Nice Guy for Notre Dame. That has gotten us nothing but forfeited victories over the past ~40 years.

(not at you Piombino) just piggy backing----it's almost like they know what the fuck they're doing and people here complaining how they would do things different have no fucking clue...I'm telling you there is soooo much behind the scene shit that happens that i luckily have some insight to....like i said last year about Keely was back channeling here with ND and was almost done last year in transferring. People here clamouring that ship sailed we wouldn't ever...I'm telling you ND has been doing very much their due diligence and targets are being identified welllllll in advance. Info out there acting like we are just getting caught with our pants down is because ND's staff is calculated and have some things to do before the ink is dried. As always, trust the staff, they know better than you

 

[Dale]

I know for an absolute fact that a lot of these guys (haven't done the math to say "most") were not on the radar at all. The 'second wave' portal guys are who they crushed it with, and a lot of the guys they signed I'd argue are better than the guys who were on their initial board of who they thought they would get.

Still need one more DT though.

We have 7 transfers. If it’s not the majority then a lot = 3 or 4 at most, one of which is probably the kicker?

 

[Domina Nostra]

(not at you Piombino) just piggy backing----it's almost like they know what the fuck they're doing and people here complaining how they would do things different have no fucking clue...I'm telling you there is soooo much behind the scene shit that happens that i luckily have some insight to....like i said last year about Keely was back channeling here with ND and was almost done last year in transferring. People here clamouring that ship sailed we wouldn't ever...I'm telling you ND has been doing very much their due diligence and targets are being identified welllllll in advance. Info out there acting like we are just getting caught with our pants down is because ND's staff is calculated and have some things to do before the ink is dried. As always, trust the staff, they know better than you

I'm not always a "trust the staff" guy, but I think ND is pretty savvy in the business world and I highly doubt that they didn't have all of their ducks in a row before the portal opened.

Nevertheless, there are parts of any deal with 19-22 yos that can fall through--and competitors can jump in and make unexpected moves--so pivoting would have always needed to be part of the plan.

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

So, do we expect more today?

 

[jerseyborn1971]

They know what they are doing. Our new DL coach chose ND over two other national power programs in part because he said they are so well run from top to bottom like an NFL franchise.

 

[GrangerIrish24]

You mid west white boys would ask this,….

Thicccc.

 

[LethalXander]

alright so I’ve been looking at the OSU fanbase discourse over Porter and Graham, and it’s pretty 50/50. Some think they don’t have the chops (prob biased) and some think they’re stars in the making. Out of the two, do you think both will produce, just one, or neither in their first year here?

 

[General Colon Bowel]

So, do we expect more today?

Nope. Gray is visiting tomorrow, and he's probably the last guy added to the portal class barring any huge surprises

 

[GrangerIrish24]

Nope. Gray is visiting tomorrow, and he's probably the last guy added to the portal class barring any huge surprises

Ill channel my inner Eville. The chances for higher amounts of snow and heavy winds has increased between today and Friday. I wouldn't be surprised if that trip gets canceled.

 

[Cpnd1]

Has any beat writers confirmed that the plan is Gray no matter Onye waiver status? Obviously I would like for them to have both, but was not sure if it was more of an either/or situation.